School Closed News: These states shut schools as Covid-19 cases rise

NEW DELHI: As the graph of COVID-19 cases in India ticks upward, state governments of Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Maharashtra (Pune) announced today that schools will remain shut.

In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday announced the administration has decided to shut schools for Classes 1 to 8 in Pune district till January 30.

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The Punjab government announced to close colleges and schools following the sudden spike in Covid-19 and Omicron cases in the state.

The Bihar government issued an order stating fresh COVID-19 guidelines and decided to close pre-school, schools for Classes 1 to 8 in the state. Classes 9 to 12 will function with 50% capacity.

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The Chhattisgarh government has reportedly decided to shut schools in the districts with a COVID-19 positivity rate of 4% and above.

In view of rising Covid cases, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said holidays be declared at all educational institutions in the state from January 8 to 16.

The Karnataka government decided to shut schools and pre-university colleges except for 10th and 12th standard students. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.

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Meanwhile, the National Coalition on the Education Emergency, a group comprising activists, educationists and physicians, has opposed the decision of various state governments across India to close schools as covid cases in India are on the rise again. According to the coalition, schools must be the last to close and the first to open during a Covid-19, omicron crisis.